Scaling Cascades in Complex Systems

"Complex processes involving cascades of scales” are ubiquitous in current natural science research. Such processes feature more than two characteristic scales, their smallest and largest scales are widely separated, and much of their scale range participates in the process interactions. Also, they are often too complex for experimental investigation, but there is hope that they can be understood through high-performance computational simulations. Such simulations remain challenging, however, due to the presence of large numbers of degrees of freedom and important interactions of the smallest, largest, and intermediate scales. The main challenge for this Collaborative Research Center thus lies in the development of modeling techniques that allow for a controlled distribution of available computational degrees of freedom over the pertinent scale hierarchies such that each scale and subprocess is represented just adequately with respect to the goals of a modeling effort.

In three Research Areas, each addressing a different characteristic problem class, Biochemists, Physicists, and Geo-Scientists join forces with mathematicians in this CRC aiming for methodological developments for the modeling and simulation of complex processes involving cascades of scales derived from prototypical challenges in the natural sciences. Over the 12-year perspective, the CRC will place the methods development for such systems on the international research agenda.

The CRC is to spearhead the associated development of a new interdepartmental research and education platform for Mathematical Modelling and Scientific Computing at Freie Universität Berlin, including doctoral training and an interdisciplinary Master Studies program. The initiative relies on strong ties with the university’s partner institutions.